The Hardest Choice
by SecretWriter2010
Summary: Bella has always thought that her best friend Jasper was the only guy for her. But when Edward Cullen steps into her life everything changes. Now Bella doesn't know who to choose and time is running out. Rated M for future chapters. AH/AU


I had been in love with my best friend for as long as I could remember. We'd grown up together in the small rainy town of Forks, Washington, a place that both of us hated. He had been there for me on the first day of school, and he had been there for me two years ago when my mother passed away from breast cancer. Since we were infants he has been my support system, my shoulder to cry on. He would do anything to protect me and I would do anything to have him.

My name is Bella Swan, and I am in love with my best friend Jasper Whitlock.

**Chapter One**

**Bella POV**

It was raining…again.

The rain pelted down on the windshield of my old red Chevy truck as I turned into Forks high school's parking lot. It was still a good twenty minutes before classes started, so I was able to get one of the better parking spaces. I turned the heater up a little bit, the frosty September air making it pretty cool inside my car. It was strangely cold for this time of year.

Pulling out my worn copy of Wuthering Heights, I turned to the page I had stopped at last night. Reading was something I liked to do to pass the times as I waited for my friends to arrive at school. I was usually always the first to arrive, because I never knew when my truck was going to break down and I wanted plenty of time to get to school on time if it did. The soft chords of classical music fell from my radio speakers as I began to become it engrossed it the book.

I was just getting to my favorite part of the book when there was a loud knock on my window. My head snapped up to look at the passenger door as it flew open and Rosalie Hale climbed in. She quickly slammed to the door behind her and pulled the hood of her jacket off her head.

"God I hate this town! All it does is fucking rain here!" Rosalie stated angrily as she ran her fingers through he golden locks.

Rosalie and I had a strange friendship. She had transferred here from New York during our freshman year of high school. She was beautiful, a fact that intimidated most girls, including me. When we first met she hated me with a passion. Rosalie thought I was a waste of her time, an annoying bug that you can't get rid of. However, it all changed the moment she met Emmett McCarthy.

Emmett and I go way back since he is one of Jasper's closer friends. To Emmett I'm like the little sister he never had, and to me Emmett is the annoying older brother I never wanted. I love him non-the less, even though he can be pretty scary anyways.

So anyways the moment Rosalie met Emmett it was love at first sight, and the moment she found out that Emmett and I were friends was the beginning of our dysfunctional friendship. She practical hunted me down after school one day and threatened to kill me if I didn't introduce her to Emmett. At first I thought she was a nut job, but after spending some time with her I realized that Rosalie is actually a nice person. Once your friends with her you're friends for life.

"What do you expect Rose? It rains here 99.9% of the time." I said, folding over the corner of my page to mark my spot. "So why aren't you with Emmett this morning?"

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" Rose asked raising one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows.

I shrugged my shoulders and smiled. "No, not yet."

Rose laughed, "Thanks it's nice to know that you'll be keeping me around for a little bit longer. Anyways it's Monday, so he had to be here at 7 this morning to watch film with the football team."

"That would explain why Jasper hasn't come prancing through the parking lot yet with Jessica or Lauren on his arm." I sighed, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

"Oh God, please tell me we are not doing this right now!" Rose yelled. "Bella look, I know that Jasper is your best friend and all but you need to get over him! If he hasn't seen how special you are by now then you need to move on! I know Mike Newton may be a pest and all, but I think it's about time you give that boy a chance! I mean he's been following you around like a lost puppy since freshman year! And if he doesn't meet your standards then maybe the new guy will!"

The last part of Rosalie's rant caught my attention and I turned to look at her. "What new guy?"

"Jesus Bella do you live in a cave or something? The Cullen twins are starting school here today. The family just moved here from Chicago because their dad just took the job as head surgeon at the hospital. It's all anyone has been talking about for the pass week and a half. "

I rolled my eyes, "Rose you know I don't listen to the gossip around here because most of it comes from Lauren and Jessica and I can't think when I'm in the same room as them."

"True, you do lose brain cells any time you are within a 100 feet of the two of them."

I laughed and looked out my window at the school. I could see some of the football players hanging out under the covered picnic area. However, my eyes landed on the one I had been waiting to see all morning. Jasper was seating on top if the table surrounded by Emmett and a couple of other guys. They were laughing at something he was saying and I could see the sparkle in Jasper's blue eyes from where I was.

"I see that the boys are already done," Rose stated. "Come on Bella let's go before you go crazy."

I opened up my door and stepped out of my car, slinging my backpack over my shoulder. I waited patently for Rose before we made a mad dash towards the school entrance in the pouring rain. By the time we got there I was soaked to the bone and the only that was dry was my hair. Rosalie didn't look much better. I pulled off my wet hoodie and was left in just my plain black tee and skinny jeans. By the time I was done straightening myself out, Rosalie was already tucked comfortable under one Emmett's massive arm.

Sighing, I made my way over to the rest of the group. Emmett looked up and smiled at me as I came to stand next to him. He was not the only one to notice my arrival.

"Good morning Bella! You look pretty today!" Mike Newton said, as he looked me up and down.

A blush colored my cheeks and I became uncomfortable under his stare. I never considered myself to be that pretty. I had medium length brown and brown eyes. I was a little curvier than most girls and I was pretty shirt. My lips were too big and I still had childish freckles sprinkled across my nose. I considered myself to be shy and quiet, nothing special.

"Thank you Mike," I whispered, tucking a piece of hair behind my hair as I looked up at him.

A goofy grin spread across his child like face as he looked down at me. I usually just ignored his advance, but today I was feeling generous enough to respond. Our eyes stayed locked for a couple of seconds longer than normal. I'm not going to lie, Mike wasn't bad looking. To me he was the picture of what an All-American boy should look like. He had blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a pure white smile. Mike was also tall at 6 " 2" and he was well portioned for his body type. He always hung onto every word I said, and was nothing but a complete gentleman to me. The only problem with Mike was that he wasn't Jasper.

I pulled my gaze away from Mike to look over at Jasper. He was leaning forward in his seat talking to Ben Cheney and Eric Yorkie. The three of them were in a deep discussion about the film they had just gone over during practice this morning. Since Jasper was distracted I took a few moments to look at him. Jasper was pure perfection in my book. His hair was a nice honey blonde color and his eyes the color of the ocean. He was tall and strong, but nowhere as much as Emmett. The best part about Jasper was his smile and Southern accent. He was my southern gentleman, my best friend, and my partner in crime.

Jasper looked up from his conversation with Ben and Eric and over at me. He flashed me a lazy smile and I felt myself shiver. His eyebrows knitted together when he saw me shiver and he finally took a moment to take in my appearance.

"Jesus Bella are you trying to get yourself killed from hypothermia or something?" Jasper asked as he took of his letterman jacket and threw it at me. "Put that on will ya. I don't want explain to Charlie that you froze to death because I wasn't gentlemanly enough to give you my jacket."

I smiled slightly and pulled the jacket on around me. It was about three sizes to big and came own all the way to me knees. However, I forgot all about it when I caught the first whiff of Jasper's scent on the jacket. To me Jasper always smelled like green apples and firewood. If someone were to bottle this scent up and make it into a perfume I would be the first person to buy some.

I was brought out of my Jasper induced haze when I felt some body push past me quite roughly. I looked up just in time to see Jasper engulfed by to bleach blonde heads.

Lauren and Jessica.

It was no secret to me that Jasper had his fair share of fun with these girls, and many others in our school. It was the one flaw about him that I had the most issues with. I hated how he would ditch me to go hang out with these girls or how I would see him walk into class late with his hair all messed up. But most of all I hated how Jasper never saw how these girls were around me. They personally took there time to make my life a living hell. They pushed me down stares, locked me in closets, wrote me hateful letters, and one even went as far as to bust all the windows out of my truck.

I could see that Jessica was straddled across his lap and running her fingers through his hair. Lauren was just standing off to the side flirting with Eric. However, my eyes stayed glued to Jessica and Jasper. Knowing he screwed around with these girls didn't hurt as much as actually seeing it. Jessica had her hands all over him and Jasper was letting her. My heart stopped when I saw Jessica quickly peek at me from the corner of her eyes, a wicked grin on her face. I watched in horror as Jessica lowered her lips and kissed Jasper. I couldn't be here anymore.

Turning to leave I could feel the tears beginning to prick at the corners of my eyes. I couldn't let them see me cry, especially not Jasper. He always hated when I cried and would bug me nonstop until I told him what was wrong. How was I supposed to tell him that it was him who made me cry? I looked over at Rosalie who looked at me sympathetically. She always hated seeing me like this.

Not watching where I was going a quickly took off, but was stopped almost immediately when I collided with someone. I could feel myself falling forward, the person I had run into going down with me. We hit the ground in a tangle of limbs, my head coming to rest on their chest and their hands on either side of my waist to support me. I looked up quickly getting ready to apologize to the poor defenseless person I had taken down with my clumsiness again. However, the words died in my mouth the moment I looked up into those two sparkling emerald eyes.

I felt so stupid just sitting there on top of this gorgeous human being and not being able to speak. He wasn't saying anything either though. His eyes were locked on mine and I could feel his hands gripping my waist harder. Those emerald eyes seemed to see right through me and I felt myself shiver. A crocked smile feel across his face and I felt myself stop breathing.

"Oh my God Bella are you all right?" Rosalie shrieked as she rushed over towards us.

Her worried cry had broken me out if my stupor and I could feel my cheeks flooding with warmth. I looked down at the handsome man who I was still straddling. He was beautiful. He had bronze hair, stunning green eyes, and a dazzling smile. He seemed to be quite tall and was very well toned from what I could feel. Where had this boy been hiding all my life?

"Emmett help me pick her up, I think she's hurt."

I could feel myself being pulled off of him and I wanted to scream in protest. The moment my feet hit the ground Rosalie attacked me, checking for any blood or broken bones. Emmett had helped pull my victim up off of the ground and he was now brushing the dust off of his pants. God he was hot! My dreams were almost dashed however, when a small pixie like girl rushed over to him a scowl on his face.

"Edward are you okay! " The short black haired girl asked, as she looked him over for any injuries.

Edward, his name was Edward.

"Jeez Alice I'm fine! I'm more worried about her." Edward said as he gazed over at me.

"Well it doesn't look like she has any broken bones this time." Rosalie sighed in relief.

A smile spread across his face again and he looked at me. "That's always good to hear."

I smiled faintly and felt a blush color my cheeks again. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to run into you, I wasn't watching where I was going.

The smile on his face grew larger. "It's fine, all that matters is that you're okay. I'm Edward Cullen by the way."

He stuck out his hand for me to shake and I took it. "Isabella Swan, but I prefer to go by Bella."

"Beautiful," Edward whispered. I looked up at him strangely. "Your name means beautiful in Italian."

We stared at each other for a little longer before we were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. I looked behind Edward to see the shorthaired girl standing there with her arms crossed glaring at us.

"And this is my sister Alice." He sighed.

Before I could even blink I felt her fling herself onto me. Her high pitch squeal made me cringe in horror.

"OH MY GOD! WE ARE GOING TO BE THE BEST OF FRIENDS I CAN JUST TELL! OH YOU HAVE TO LET ME DO YOUR HAIR AND MAKE-UP SOMETIME! AND WE SO NEED TO GO SHOPPING! NO OFFENSE BUT YOUR WARDROBE NEEDS A SERIUOS UPDATE!" Alice said super fast, not even stopping to take a breath.

I felt a little over whelmed.

"Alice step away from the defenseless girl." Edward instructed as he removed me from her grasp.

"Edward you're no fun," Alice pouted.

The bell suddenly rang out across the picnic area and everyone moved to leave. Rosalie gently tugged on my shoulder letting me know it was time to go. I looked over at her, but her face was blocked out as I felt an arm come to wrap around my shoulder. I looked to my right to see Jasper smiling down at me.

"Are you going to introduce me to your new friends Bella?" Jasper asked.

"Um…Jasper this is Alice and Edward Cullen. Alice and Edward this is Jasper Whitlock." I said.

"Nice to meet you." Jasper stated as he stuck his hand out for Edward to shake.

Edward didn't make a move to shake Jasper's hand.

I stared between the two as I watched the glare at each other. What the hell was going on? Jasper and Edward kept staring at each other until Edward finally looked away. A smug smile fell on Jasper's lips as his hold around me tightened.

"Come on Bella, we're going to be late for class."

I let Jasper direct me towards the entrance of the school, and the whole time I could feel two emerald eyes staring at me as I walked away.

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